Research Assistance
by GSRCSILVR25
Summary: Sequel to Christmas, Sara & Invitation. Grissom takes a short research project in Alaska and plans to meet Sara for a 5 day Cruise. Set in a slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Grissom stood on the porch with his Aunt and cousin. He took in a deep breath of the fresh air and let it out heavily. Debbie wrapped him up in a warm embrace and kissed him on his bearded cheek. His Aunt Beth stepped closer and kissed him on the opposite cheek.

"Drive safe, Gil. Tell Sara we were sorry she couldn't make it for the service." Beth told him as he walked down the stairs.

Gil gave one last wave to his family as he turned onto the main road and headed for the airport. He wiped at his eyes, trying to rid them of the offending tears. He pulled on a pair of sunglasses and turned up the radio station. The funeral had been just what his mother had wanted. She was a devout Catholic, so it suited her religious views. Grissom wouldn't have chosen such a traditional church funeral, but it was what she had wanted and he abided by her wishes. He had just wished Sara could have been there.

Several hours later, Gil was waiting for his suitcases to come off the luggage carousel in the airport. He took a deep breath of the familiar Vegas air and smiled. He was home. And more importantly, he was going home to Sara. HIS Sara. Finally his. They had been secretly dating for six months now. She had wanted to be there for him at his mother's funeral, but there was just no way around giving her the time off without outing their budding relationship.

"Hey, sexy. Need help with that?" Grissom grinned and turned around to see Sara standing there with a huge grin on her face.

"Well, if you're offering......." He pointed to the largest of his three suitcases and smiled at her.

"Didn't you leave with just ONE suitcase, Gil?" Sara inquired as she pulled on the handle of the large bag.

"Yeah. I decided to bring some of my mother's things back with me instead of shipping them."

"Oh." Sara was feeling guilty that she couldn't be there for him at the funeral and now here she was making fun of him for bringing back some of his mother's possessions. "Good one, Sidle" she mumbled to herself.

"What, Dear?" Gil turned around to look at her.

"Nothing." She smiled sweetly and stepped closer to him. Gil raised his eyebrow in question, but Sara just leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his mouth.

"Sara...." Gil said in warning and looked around to make sure no one had seen.

"Sorry. I just missed you." Sara stated and began to walk towards her vehicle, suitcase in tow.

They arrived at Gil's townhouse a half hour later. Sara helped him carry the suitcases into the living room. Gil took his suitcase into the bedroom, leaving Sara standing in the middle of the living room. Sara shook her head and followed him into the bedroom. He was bending over into his closet. Sara smiled and sneaked up behind him. She wrapped her arms around his middle, which caused him to jump up in surprise. Sara stumbled backwards, laughing at the look on his face.

"Don't you know its not polite to give your boyfriend a heart attack?" Grissom clutched at his racing heart. Sara smiled seductively at him and stepped closer. She wrapped her arms around him again, pulling him in for a searing kiss. Grissom moaned into her mouth and deepened the kiss. Minutes later, they pulled apart, breathless.

"Wow." Gil smiled at Sara. "I need to go away and come back more often."

"Not if I can help it!" Sara smacked him playfully on the butt. "You are NEVER leaving my sight again."

"Hmmm." Gil replied and took her mouth in another sloppy kiss. Sara groaned when Gil's phone went off.

"Grissom." He stepped away from Sara's embrace while he talked. "Oh, Hi, Catherine." He rolled his eyes. Sara put her hand over her mouth and laughed. "I just got in less than an hour ago." "Yeah, thank you for the flowers." "Well, Im glad I missed out on that one." "Yeah, ok. I'll be in early for shift so we can catch up." "Sara? Uh, no. Why?" "Hmmm. Well, I guess I'll have to have a talk with her." "Ok. I'll see you then. Bye."

Grissom turned towards Sara with a questioning look. "Anything you need to tell me, Ms. Sidle?"

"Ms. Sidle?" She snorted at him. "I guess Catherine told you about our little disagreement."

"Disagreement? She said you threatened to go to Ecklie about her lack of skills as a supervisor." He rubbed his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed. He looked up at Sara. "Tell me what happened."

"Don't you think we should wait until shift?" Sara sat down next to Gil on the bed. "I mean, we keep our private life out of work. Why not the same about work in our private life?"

"Sara....." He took her hands in his larger ones. "Tell me what happened."

"Catherine sure has a way of spoiling a mood." Sara grinned at him.

"What? Nah." He looked at Sara and formed a wicked grin. Before she could say another word, Grissom had her flat on her back on the mattress. He was above her, placing light kisses on her face, neck and shoulders.

"Gil!" Sara said with laughter. "Guess you're keeping work at work, huh?"

Sara felt him smile against her neck as he kissed his way back up to her ear. His moist breath in her ear made her shiver. "I'm just keeping private things private, my Dear."

Catherine sat in the breakroom waiting for Gil to show up. She had taken over shift supervisor responsibilities for Grissom while he was in Michigan at his Mother's funeral. She felt sorry for him. He was an only child, and from what she could gather, his dad died some time ago. He had mentioned an Aunt and cousins, but getting information that personal out of Gil Grissom was near impossible.

"Hello, Catherine." Grissom popped his head in the breakroom door. "My office?"

"Yeah." She got up and followed him into his office. She took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk. Catherine sipped at her coffee while Gil got settled into his office.

"So....you doing okay?" Catherine asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Yes, Catherine. I'm fine. Thanks for being concerned, but I do have people who care for me outside of work." He flipped through some papers on his desk, not making eye contact.

Catherine watched him with interest. He was either telling her to 'bug off" or he had a girlfriend! There was no way he meant some old Aunt or a third cousin he saw only once a year. He was far too happy. Gil glanced up at her. She stared at him a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"What!" Grissom was getting pissed.

"You got laid!" Catherine announced. "Gil Grissom. Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and surprise me."

"What?" His voice was about three octaves higher than usual. He cleared his throat. "Catherine. I think you need to think about the appropriateness of this discussion."

"So, you did?" She winked at him.

"NO!" He put his glasses on. "And even if I did, I wouldn't discuss it with you."

"A-HA!" Catherine smiled triumphantly. "You sooo got laid!"

Sara stopped dead in her tracks. Did Catherine just say what she thought she said? Sara walked slowly closer to Grissom's office. Stopping just outside the door, making sure neither Gil nor Catherine could see her. She smiled at Gil's response.

"Catherine.....not everyone solves their problems with sex."

"Yeah. Yeah." Catherine just leaned back in the chair and smiled at Gil, convinced he had hooked up with someone while he was gone. "But it sure helps."

"So, fill me in." Grissom demanded, ignoring her comments.

"Wow! You really are private." Catherine proceeded to fill him in on a few cases and went through some of the paperwork.

Sara walked back to the breakroom after Gil and Catherine began to discuss paperwork. Sara poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table with a case file. Twenty minutes later Catherine appeared. She walked silently to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup. She left without saying a word. "Typical", Sara mumbled under her breath.a

"Hey, Sara?" Gil called to her from the doorway. "Can we have a talk? My office?"

"Sure." Sara grinned at him. She took refilled her cup and followed him down the hallway to his office. Gil was already sitting at his desk, so Sara took a seat opposite him.

"So, Catherine tells me you guys had an argument about how to handle a case."

"Yes, you know we did." She smiled at him.

"Sara....." He warned her, looking over the rim of his glasses.

"Fine." She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, we had a slight disagreement. Catherine seems to think being Supervisor equals dictator. She wouldn't listen to ANYTHING I had to say about how to handle the case."

"She says you were rude and acted inappropriately when questioning the suspect." Gil took off his glasses and let out a sigh. "Sara, I know how emotional you can get with these cases. But you have to follow the rules."

"I know that, Grissom. I know I lost it. But Catherine had NO right to reprimand me like a child in front of the entire Las Vegas PD!"

"What?" The confusion was evident on his face.

"Oh, she left that part out? Why I'm shocked!" Sara's words dripped with the sarcasm that they all knew so well.

"Ok, look. Let's all just try to get along, ok? I know Catherine can be bossy."

"Ya think?" Sara sneered.

"BUT.....Sara, you need to control your temper and reign in the sarcasm just a tad."

"Fine." Sara stood up. "Is that all?"

"Actually.......no." Sara sat back down. "Sara, I think you need some time off."

"What?" She began to protest but Grissom just held up his hand and smiled.

"We have a cruise to take. Remember?" Grissom smiled at her.

"How?" Sara was now intrigued.

"Well, there happens to be a research project I signed up for in Anchorage. And our scheduled 5 day cruise that my family bought for us? It happens to be during that time. I arranged it so you have vacation.......I have the project..........and we can take 5 days to go on that cruise."

"How did you manage that, Dr. Grissom?" Sara was grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, the head researcher, happens to be an old college friend. I told him bout you, and he said he could spare me for 5 days." Grissom watched as Sara got up from her seat and began to pace.

"Wow! Just.....wow!" Sara stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the room staring at Gil. "Wait. How long will you be gone on the research thing?"

"Oh, uh..."Grissom shifted in his seat. "It's for 3 weeks."

"So, you'll be gone again." Disappointment was evident in her voice.

"Well, yeah. But I think that a 3 week vacation for you is in order.......or rather....AN ORDER." Grissom held out a letter to her. Sara snatched it out of his grasp and read the letter.a

"So, Ecklie is demanding I take time off." Sara stood there, blank look on her face. After a few minutes she leaned on Grissom's desk, looked him in the eyes and smiled. "Need an assistant researcher?"

Gil sat forward, leaning close to her face. "That's the plan."

A/N: well! Im finally off and running with the sequel to CSI: Christmas, Sara and Invitation. Hope you like so far. It will get better! I think this will be a 10+ chapter story. I will try to update a couple times a week. So, please leave a review and let me know what you think so far! Any ideas are welcome! Wendy


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"Hey, Sara!" Greg called to Sara just as she was about to get into her car. "Wait up!"

"Hey, Greggo! What's up?" Sara leaned against her car, putting on her sunglasses.

"Well, I heard you were taking an extended vacation." He smiled at her. "I just wanted to tell you goodbye before you go off to.........wherever."

"Thanks, Greg. Actually, I was kind of forced to take a vacation, thanks to my big mouth. But I decided to take a road trip to San Francisco. See some old friends. Get some rest. Maybe do some research."

"Sounds relaxing." Greg smiled at her. "So, when you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"So, wanna grab some lunch? My treat!" He bounced on his heals, anticipating her answer.

"Sure, Greggo. How bout that new Middle Eastern Restaurant that used to be the Italian place?"

"Sounds good! I'll follow you."

Sara finally made it home two hours later. Greg kept up the conversation telling her all about his latest lady love. At least the food was good! Sara hated lying to Greg and the others, but the less they knew, the easier it would be to keep a secret. She really was going to drive to San Francisco and see some old friends. She then would fly to Anchorage a few days later and meet Gil. They would be there for one week working with Gil's friend on his research project then head out on their 5 day cruise. When they returned to Anchorage, Gil would remain for another few days and Sara would return to San Francisco and head back to Vegas.

Sara picked up her phone and pressed number 3.

"Grissom."

"Hey, Babe. You coming over?"

"Well, hello to you too. Where have you been? I thought you were meeting me here for lunch."

"Oh. Sorry. Greg ambushed me in the parking lot. I had lunch with him."

"I see."

"Don't worry. We went to that new Middle Eastern place."

"Oh, well........Thank You, Greggo!" He chuckled. "So, you coming over?"

"Oh, well, I have to finish packing. Then I have to meet my secret boyfriend for a passionate night of lovemaking. So, I'm not sure if I have time to squeeze you in."

"Hmmm. Well, that's your loss, Sweetie!"

"Well, when you put it that way...... I'll be over in an hour."

Two hours later Sara was sitting with Gil on his couch, snuggled up to his side. They were watching a video that Charles, Gil's Colleague in Alaska had sent. They were in the middle of a tour of the grounds when Sara decided to take a tour of her own. She rested her hand on Gil's abdomen. She slowly let her fingers wander under the edge of his shirt and placed light kisses on his neck.

"Sara.....you're going to miss the best part."

"Oh, sorry." She pulled her head back and watched his face as she dropped her hand to his crotch. "Don't want to miss the best part." She gently squeezed and smiled at the look of shock, then pleasure oh his face.

"Guess we can find our way around when we get there." Gil clicked off the tv.

Sara said goodbye to Gil, kissing him over and over again. She finally left his townhouse and made her way back home to finish packing. Gil was taking a taxi to the airport. He didn't want any drawn out "goodbye scenes" at the airport. She was finding it harder and harder to be away from Gil Grissom. Somehow, she would endure the next 3 days without him. Sara smiled when her phone vibrated on her hip.

"Miss me already?" She answered the phone.

"Sara?" Catherine's voice rang out over the airwaves.

"Catherine. Did I forget to fill out some paperwork?"

"No, uh. I just thought I was calling Gil, not you. I must have hit the wrong number on my speed dial."

"Oh, uh.....ok." _SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! I have Gil's phone!_

"Well, sorry to interrupt your vacation. You should really turn your phone off. Don't want Ecklie changing his mind." Catherine gave a light chuckle. _"SO FAKE!_" _Sara thought._

"Yeah, that's a good idea, Cath! Thanks." She hung up quickly and dialed her phone, which apparently Gil had.

"Grissom"

"Gil, we got a problem. You have my phone, I have yours. Turn it off. I will turn this one off. You can tell her you had it off on the plane or couldn't get reception. But make sure you shut mine off too."

"How did we......? Well, however it happened, as soon as I hang up, I'll turn it off."

"Ok, bye!" Sara was about to hang up when Gil interrupted her.

"Oh, Sara!"

"Yeah." She said a bit annoyed.

"I miss you." Sara smiled into the phone.

"I miss you too."

Sara went to turn off the phone when it began to vibrate again. She let it go to voice mail then turned it off. Crisis avoided! This was getting to be a lot of work. A nice quiet vacation was just what she and Gil needed.

Gil landed in Anchorage, got his luggage and stepped into the fresh Alaska air. He saw his friend Charles waving to him as he drove up to the curb.

"Hop in, Gil!" Grissom hurriedly put his suitcase in the back seat then buckled himself into the front of the SUV next to his friend. "It's so good to see you, Gil!"

"You too, Charles." Grissom looked intently out the window, taking in every detail he could process as they drove.

"So, your lady is joining us in a few days?" Charles inquired as he made a left turn.

"Yeah. Like I had mentioned, we have to keep our relationship a secret. If our supervisors found out, we would both be out of jobs."

Charles looked over at Gil and smiled. He was happy Gil had found someone. He had written him off as the oldest living bachelor years ago! Gil seemed to be content. He couldn't wait to meet the woman who had stolen the good Doctor's heart. They pulled up in front of the research facility and headed into the Charles office.

"So, this is home." Charles pointed around as they walked the halls. "Well, I do have a house, but I sometimes wonder why I do."

"I know what you mean. I work so many double shifts and stay to catch up on paperwork that its hard to have time to do anything other than sleep."

"That must make things difficult in the relationship." Charles inquired.

"Well, it can. But Sara works the same crazy hours, so it tends to work out. We don't go out on dates really. But we work together and eat meals together while on shift."

"Yeah, but what about sex?" Charles raised his brows.

"Uh, yeah." Gil shuffled his feat nervously. "We find time for that."

"Yeah, I'm sure you do." Charles laughed out loud at the color of red that Gil was now turning. "She's younger than you, right?"

"Yes."

"She was a former student?"

"Well, seminar participant."

"Hmmm." Charles sat down at his desk. Grissom sat on a sofa under the window along the side of his office.

"So, how much younger?"

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Gil's voice held an agitated edge.

"No. How much younger?"

"Fifteen years." Gil let out on a sigh.

"WOW!" Charles slowly leaned back in his chair and smiled at Gil. "Now I KNOW why you find time for sex."

"Charles......" Gil stood up and paced. "Can we just drop the whole age thing. Please."

"Touchy! Must be a sore spot for you."

"You know me all too well, Charles. And yes. It was one of the reasons I didn't want to become involved with her romantically."

"I'm beginning to understand this relationship now." Charles smiled at him. "You've always felt an attraction. She showered you with attention. Maybe a little flirting. But you always felt she just admired you for your mind and she'd grow tired of the old man sooner than later."

"Well, yeah. Basically." Gil sat back down.

"But now. Here we are over 6 years later and she has somehow managed to become not only important to you as an employee, but as a person. She definitely must be smitten with you. Of course, I don't know why........" Charles teased.

"Thanks." Gil stated solemnly.

"Well, I cant wait to meet her! I have some stories....."

"You better not!" Gil interrupted Charles before he could finish.

"Ok. Ok."

"Good." Gil sat back in satisfaction.

"But maybe just one story......"

A/N: Ok, so hope you enjoyed chapter two! Please leave a review! The next chapter will be Sara's journey to SF and then on to Alaska. Stay tuned! Any ideas are welcome. I actually do use them sometimes! Hehehe. Thanks all who are reading! Wendy


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Sara pulled into a parking space outside building twelve of the Lone Pine Apartments in San Francisco. She had been driving all day and was in need of a shower and sleep. Her friend Samantha had been kind enough to let her stay with her for a couple days before leaving to meet Gil in Alaska. Sara got out and pulled her suitcase out of the back seat.

"SARA!!!"

Sara turned around to see a smiling Sam running towards her. Sara had to brace herself against her door to keep from falling from the force of the hug from her friend.

"It's good to see you too, Sam!" Sara patted the older woman on the back.

"Come on. I just ordered some Chinese! Got your favorite. Sweet n sour Pork!" Sara stopped in her tracks and chuckled. "What?" Sam cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, nothing. We need to catch up on a few things." They walked up the half flight of stairs to Sam's apartment. Sara deposited her suitcase in the guest bedroom/office. After freshening up, Sara joined Sam at the dining room table.

"So, fill me in! We haven't had a decent conversation since you mysteriously ran off to Vegas! I know you said you are meeting someone in Alaska. What else is going on?" Sam's eyes were wide with intrigue.

"Well.......for one thing." Sara pointed to the meat dishes at the table. "I'm now a vegetarian."

"What?" Sam was shocked. "I once saw you eat an entire 20 ounce steak when challenged!"

"I know! But after a night that involved flies and a dead pig, I am strictly vegetarian."

"Ugh. Thanks." Sam dropped her chopsticks in disgust, glaring at the piece of pork on her plate. "Guess I'll have lots of leftovers." She grinned at Sara.

"Sorry! But I'll help you with the veggies and rice!" Sara smirked as she bit into a vegetable eggroll.

"So, besides diet habits, who is this guy you are meeting up with? Anyone I might know?"

"Ummm. Yeah, actually." Sara turned a slight shade of red.

"REALLY? Hmmmm.....this is getting interesting." Sam took a bite of her food. "Do tell!"

"Gilbert Grissom." Sara stated plainly.

"Grissom. Grissom." Sam thought for a moment. "Not ringing any bells, here, Sar."

"I met him here at a conference. We kept in touch and he called when the Vegas Lab had an opening."

"Wow! Is he why you ran off to Vegas?"

"We kept in touch, but we just started officially dating about 6 months ago."

"Why so long? I mean, you moved there for him, right?"

"It's...........complicated." Sara took a sip of her iced tea. "He's my boss."

"What?" Sam choked slightly on her food. "You do like the dangerous side of things, huh?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sara got offensive.

"Well, you told me about that TA and the Mile High Club. Plus, you dated that guy who was an undercover agent on the force. OH! And you had a crush on that Professor at Berkley! The bug guy. What was his name?"

"Doctor. Gilbert. Grissom." Sara smiled at her friend.

"The Professor?" Sam stared at her in disbelief.

"Yeah." Sara chuckled. "The Professor. Well, actually, he's an Entomologist and the night shift supervisor."

"Wow! No wonder you never told me why you decided to move so abruptly."

"Sam, I'm so sorry that I haven't kept in better contact with you. I know that Christmas cards and Birthday cards hardly count."

"Sara, I'm glad you sent them. You mentioned cases and the weather, but never much personal information, yes! But, I know you are an extremely private person." Samantha got up and took two beers out of the fridge. "You still drink beer?"

"Yeah, I still drink beer." Sara took the beverage from her friend.

"So, you and the Bug Guy." Sam winked at her. "How's the sex? I mean, he is older than you. Any issues there?"

Sara choked, trying to not spray her swig of beer all over the table. "Geez, Sam! Kinda personal, don't you think?"

"So, he needs the little blue pills, then, huh?"

"NO!" Sara leaned forward. "I mean. No, we don't need any assistance."

"Well, with age comes experience, right?" Sam laughed at the expression on Sara's face and then snorted when Sara turned a nice shade of pink. "Well, well. The good Doctor is just full of surprises, eh?"

Sara took a long swig of her beer. "Everything is just fine."

"Good." Sam stated simply.

Several hours and beers later, Sara a Sam were decidedly caught up and exhausted. Sleep came easy for Sara. She was eager to start the new day. It was one day closer to when she would see Gill. Sara smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

The next day the two friends met up with some former co-workers from the SF Crime Lab for lunch. Sara, Sam, Tom, Angela and Desmond sat around a table in a quaint little family run diner as they caught up on life's events. Sam made sure that Sara included her relationship with Gil Grissom, the Professor, in the conversation.

"I think older men are sexy." Angela chimed in when the men at the table made faces regarding Gil's age. "Besides, with age comes wisdom and experience."

"Yeah, and gray hair and unreliable equipment." Desmond replied as Tom chuckled.

"There is NOTHING wrong with the 'equipment'. Just an FYI.." Sara smirked at the men.

"So, him being your Boss, is that permitted?" Tom inquired. Sara smiled at him.

"No, we have to keep it a secret. Its against department policy. Unless one of us wants to move to a different shift."

"That wouldn't work." Tom agreed. "So, how did you get time off together?" Sara just stared at him, mouth open.

"Wait! No one knows you are going to Alaska, do they?" Desmond chimed in.

"No. They think I'm here for two weeks. But really, its none of their business."

"So, devious, Sidle!" Tom teased. They all agreed.

"So, have you ever come close to being outed?" Angela was intrigued now about this odd relationship.

"That's for me to know."

"Oh, come on, Sara! Nothing fun ever happens here. Give us the grimy details!"

"Yeah, Sara!" "Come on!" They all pleaded. Sara gave in to their incessant pleas.

"FINE!" Sara sat back in her seat and smiled. "There was this crime scene about two hours outside Vegas. It was a murder linked to one we had been working on in Vegas. So, Grissom, Greg, Nick and myself went up there and worked all day with the local law enforcement collecting evidence. By the time we had finished, we had been there for nearly 20 hours, so we all were tired, but decided to just drive the evidence back to Vegas."

"So far, this is BO-RING!" Tom grinned at her. "Get to the good stuff, already, Sidle!"

"Look, its not THAT big of a deal!"

"Sara, ignore him. Just go on." Angela encouraged her, wanting to hear what happened next.

"Well, we drew straws, and Greg got to be the designated driver. Nick called shotgun. So, Griss and I crowded into the back seat with all of our field kits. The back was full with evidence. Nick gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder when I was getting into the SUV. He thought it was funny that I had to sit with Grissom."

"You keep calling Gil by Grissom or Griss. Do you call him that at work?" Sam noticed her use of her lover's name.

"Oh, yeah." Sara smiled. "We all call him Grissom at work, except for a few people that have known him for 15 or more years. But, when we're alone, I like to call him by his given name."

"Awww! So sweet!" Desmond mocked. "Now go on with the story already!"

"You guys are horrible. I should just end this right now." Sara winked at the women. "But I don't want to see the women suffer." Sara let out a sigh and continued. "We were sitting in the back seat, Griss was in the middle and me behind the passenger seat. We convinced Greg that Marilyn Manson was NOT going to be played. We all agreed on an easy listening station. Nick was out in minutes. We all chuckled at his snoring and occasional sleep talking."

"Greg was driving and singing along with an 80's song and I was trying to stay awake. I woke up a while later and had somehow managed to lean on Grissom, with my arms wrapped around his middle. I sat up with a start and saw Greg smiling at me."

"What did he say?"

"Have a good rest? Looks like you were getting comfortable."

The group laughed at what Sara told them.

"I just dismissed his comment, saying something about not realizing what I was doing and leaned against the window, falling back to sleep. I woke up about 30 minutes later. Greg was hollering 'we're almost home' and I realized that Grissom had managed to put his arm around me and I was sleeping in his lap!"

"How did you explain that one?" Angela and the rest of the group were chuckling.

"Well, I didn't. I just sat up quickly, pushing Grissom's arm off of me, waking him up. He started to smile at me, the way he does in the morning, but I smacked his thigh and looked at Greg. Grissom apologized but Greg kept teasing me for a week after that happened. I think he suspects something."

"Well, that's not THAT bad, Sara. I'm sure it's no big deal." Sam offered encouragement.

"Well, so far I think you're right. No one has said anything and I haven't heard any idle chit chat going around the lab. When I first arrived in Vega, there was a LOT of talking. They all thought I was Grissom's lab whore."

"Lab whore! Where do I get one of those?" Tom smiled in agreement with Desmond.

"MEN!" All three women stated in unison.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN VEGAS........

"Sanders!" Ecklie called to Greg from the DNA lab as he walked past. Greg entered the lab, eyebrows raised. "I've been looking for you. I have a special project for you."

"Oh, what is it? We're kinda short handed right now with Sara off and Griss doing his research project in Alaska."

"Well, that's what I need you for, Sanders." Ecklie gave him a fake smile.

"I don't understand." Greg was thoroughly confused.

"I got this confirmation paperwork from the research lab, and it seems that they have us down for TWO researchers at their lab. The second person is only for a week, but it looks like we already paid, so I need someone to go to Alaska and help Gil."

"What? Really?" Greg was bouncing around, a huge grin on his face. "I can't believe this! I get to help Griss with a project AND go to Alaska! I've always wanted to go snowboarding at this one resort......"

"Sanders! This is work, not a vacation."

"Oh, I know. But, hey, all work and no play makes Greggy hard to be around." Greg's smile faded when Ecklie stared at him, not amused with his statement. "Sorry."

"You leave at 7am." He handed Greg an envelope. "Go home and get packed. There's some cash for expenses in there with your tickets."

"Wow!" Greg was all smiles as he inspected his flight itinerary.

"Remember, Sanders, this is work. The reputation of not only you and Gil are at stake, but also the Las Vegas Crime Lab.

"Right. Gotcha. I will work really hard and not let you down!"

Greg made his way home and packed for his flight. An hour later he was sitting at the gate waiting to board his flight. He was thinking how Sara would be jealous that he got to go help Grissom with a special research project. He decided he should call her. He dialed her number, but got her voice mail.

"Hey, Sar! This is your pal Greggo! Guess what! Im going to Alaska! That's right! 7 fun-filled days in the Alaska wild with Grissom and his bugs! Well, call me when you get this. I know you are so jealous of me right now. See ya later!"

Greg hung up the phone and smiled. This was going to be a memorable trip.

A/N: So, the fun begins soon! LOL. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It took me forever to write for some reason. Well, hope you like! Please leave a review! Oh! And GO MSU SPARTANS!!! Wendy


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sara tried to sleep but was failing miserably. It was just before midnight. She turned on her phone, well, Gil's phone, and checked the messages. There was one from Catherine. Saved for later. There was one from Ecklie. Saved for later. And there was one from Gil for her.

"Hey, Sara, if you get this, call me on your cell. I'll keep it on most of the night." Sara frowned at his businesslike tone. That was just Grissom. She dialed her cell number and tapped her foot nervously waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello?" His voice brought a huge grin to Sara's face.

"Hey, sexy." Sara greeted him.

"Hi." He stated simply, but the way he said it always sent shivers down her spine. The familiarity of it always got to her. "How are things with your friends?"

"Oh, great. It was good to see everyone and catch up. But I miss you."

"I know, Sweetie. Just 13 more hours and I will be holding you in my arms and giving you a kiss."

"Mmmm. I can't wait."

"Can't sleep?" He knew her all too well.

"Not really. I checked your messages. There's one from Catherine and one from Ecklie."

"I'll call them tomorrow. Want me to check your messages? It says there are 4. I couldn't remember your password or I would have earlier."

"Don't worry about it, Gil. It's probably just nonsense from Greg and Nick. And I know one is probably from Sam. She said she left one two days ago." Sara was fighting to keep her eyes open and let out an audible yawn. "Just hearing your voice made me sleepy."

"Well, nice to know I have SOME effect." Grissom chuckled. "Get some sleep, Honey. I will see you tomorrow."

"Night, Gil." Sara hung up and smiled as she finally drifted off to sleep.

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Sara was up earlier than she wanted to be. Her flight left at 7:00 a.m. She had a quick layover in Salt Lake and was in Anchorage deboarding the plane by 4:15 p.m. She searched the area for Gil, but failed to find him in the crowd. Maybe he was meeting her in baggage claim. They should have specified. Sara followed the signs to baggage claim. She quickly found her suitcase and was pulling it off the line when she hear a familiar voice.

"Need help with that, maam?" She smiled and turned around.

"Maam? Really?" Her smirk told him she was teasing. Gil took the handled from her grasp and pulled it towards himself.

"Ready?" He raised his brow in question.

"Not yet." Sara just stood there.

"Do you have another suitcase?" Grissom inquired.

"No, but I am missing something." Sara just stood there. She let out a heavy sigh when he just stared blankly at her. "I believe I was promised a kiss when I arrived."

Gil smiled at her. "Of course!" He glanced around quickly then pulled her into his arms and placed an openmouthed kiss on her eager lips. He held her in his arms, smiling at her, his forehead against hers. "That better?"

"Mmmm. Much better, Dr. Grissom."

"Doctor, huh?" Gil let her go but held her hand pulling the luggage along with the other hand. "Must have been discussing how we met with Sam and the gang."

Sara chuckled. "You know me all too well."

They loaded her suitcase into the back of the SUV Gil was using and headed to Gil's temporary apartment. It was located on the small grounds of the research facility. He liked that he could just walk to the buildings that housed the labs. Good thing it was warmer weather or he would need a team of sled dogs to go to work.

Grissom opened the door to his temporary abode. "Welcome." He smiled at Sara. She placed a quick kiss on his lips as she slipped passed him into the living area.

"Not bad." Sara twirled around slowly, taking in her surroundings. She noticed the decorations on the far wall and frowned. "Nice moose head."

"Well, it is Alaska, Sara." Gil wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed a small kiss on the side of her neck. "I missed you."

"Mmmm. I missed you more." Sara turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a kisses along his jaw and finally on his lips. They stood there showing eachother just how much they each missed the other with their lips and tongues. Sara moaned into Gil's mouth as he deepened the kiss and ran his hands down her back, settling on the curve of her ass.

"I would love nothing more than to continue this, Miss Sidle. But we are expected for dinner soon." Gil pulled away from her slightly.

"Not so fast, Dr. Grissom." Sara placed one last earth shattering kiss on his lips and pulled away. "I need to freshen up. Where's the bathroom?"

Gil pointed down the hallway to his left and headed that way, pulling Sara's suitcase behind him. Sara followed Gil into the bedroom and put her suitcase on the bed. She rummaged around and found her toiletries bag and headed to the bathroom across the hall to freshen up. Gil sat on the edge of the bed, grinning to himself. _How did I ever get so lucky as to have such a wonderful woman in my life. I feel like I don't deserve her sometimes._

"Penny for your thoughts." Sara interrupted his thoughts. He smiled at her.

"I was just thinking how lucky I am to have you in my life."

"Yeah, good one, Gil." She smirked at him. "I'm sure some type of insect was on your mind."

"No, really! I'm happy you are here. I can't wait for our cruise next week." He waggled his eyebrows at her, which made Sara laugh out loud. She stood in front of him and ran her fingers through his hair. Grissom hugged her, holding his head to her abdomen, and let out a contented sigh. "I love you, Sara."

"What?" Sara stepped back.

"What? I know we don't say it much. Well, ever really. But I do." Sara just stared at him, then cocked her head to the side and smiled at him.

"Thank you, Gil. For loving me." She kissed him quickly and then began to rummage around in her suitcase. Gil shook his head in confusion. _No "I love you too?" No " I feel the same"?_

"Well, at least there aren't any animal heads in here." Sara commented looking around."By the way," Sara looked up from her suitcase, holding his gaze, "I love you, too." Gil grinned at her and let out a small chuckle.

An hour later they were seated in a quaint Diner with Gil's friend and research colleague, Charles. They ordered their meals. Sara had a hard time finding something vegetarian on the menu besides a salad, so she opted for that and a grilled cheese. Charles and Gil both got the steak. Sara turned up her nose at Gil. She leaned in towards his ear, whispering: "someone better use extra floss and mouthwash if he wants to get lucky tonight." Gil chuckled.

"So, Sara, Gil tells me you are the best CSI on his team." Charles took a sip of his coffee and waited for her reply.

"He did? Hmmm. I wouldn't go THAT far. But, yeah. I'm good." She grinned at Charles.

"You're right, Gil. She is charming." Charles chuckled at the duo. Sara turned to stare at Gil. Gil just leaned over and gave her a quick kiss.

"So, Charles, what else has Gil told you about me?"

Charles never got a chance to answer. They were interrupted by a cell phone ringing.

"Oh!" Grissom reached into his breast pocket and fished out Sara's phone. "We need to switch our phones back!"

Sara took the phone from Gil, looking at the caller ID. It was Nick. Sara rolled her eyes and let it go to voicemail. "It's Nick. I'll call him later."

"Yeah, you have quite a few messages. You should check them." Sara handed Gil his phone. He turned it on. He had two new messages. "You don't mind if we check these, do you?" Gil asked of Charles.

"No, go ahead." He smiled at them and continued to sip his coffee.

Gil listened to his first message. There was another one from Catherine asking him about some paperwork he was supposed to have filled out for Ecklie. He rolled his eyes. The next message was from Greg. "Hey, Grissom! I'm here! It's 7:00 and I'm taking a cab to the research facility. See you there!" Grissom's eyes grew wide and he caught Charles gaze.

"What's wrong, Gil?"

"Charles? Did you put that paperwork through for ONE person or TWO with the Las Vegas Lab?"

"What? I filled out yours and also Sara's, but I left instructions with my secretary to only send yours through to Vegas."

"SHIT!" Sara let out the expletive rather loudly. "Greg is on his way here!"

"I know! He just left a message about 5 minutes ago saying his plane landed and he was on his way to the lab."

"Oh, no. My secretary must have sent BOTH sets of paperwork through and your lab thought they could send another person for a week!" Charles stared at Gil, who was sitting speechless.

"Gil. Gil!" Sara tapped his shoulder to get him to look at her. "What are we going to do?"

"Ok. Listen. I have an idea." Charles leaned in and told them his plan.

A/N: Teehee! Hate to leave you hanging! But fun is ahead!!! Hope you liked this shorter chapter. But I felt I had to post something for you! Please leave a review!!! HAPPY EASTER!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Grissom hurried back to the research lab to meet Greg. Sara stayed and finished dinner with Charles. As he drove, Gil became more and more frustrated with the situation. He loved Sara. He wanted to be with her forever. Why did he have to hide it? He hated policies and politics and well, Ecklie!

Gil pulled into his parking space and was greeted by an overenthusiastic Greg who was waving to him frantically from his seat on a bench. Gil smiled at him and got out of the vehicle.

"Hi, Griss!!! The door was locked, so I thought I'd just wait. I guess you got my message."

"Yeah, got your message." Gil grabbed Greg's suitcase and pulled it toward the vehicle. "I'll take you to your temporary housing."

"Oh, cool. Is it close?" Greg got into the passenger seat and sat smiling waiting for Grissom to continue.

"Yeah, its just up the road here. There are a few apartments. That's where you will be staying."

Greg grinned. "You mean I'm not staying with you?"

"No. Greg." Grissom looked at him sideways in irritation.

"So, Alaska! It's really beautiful! Before I leave, I have some sightseeing I'd like to do. You been anywhere yet?" Greg kept talking. Gil was slowly getting irritated.

"No, Greg. I really haven't had time."

"Oh." Greg seemed disappointed. Gil let out a sigh. This wasn't Greg's fault. He should try to be nice to the boy, as Sara had suggested before he left the restaurant.

"But. I am taking a cruise next week with an old friend. So, you will be on your own here for a few days and probably be gone when I get back."

"Oh. Okay." Greg looked out the window for a moment. "That's good that you're doing that, Griss. I think you take life a bit too seriously sometimes. It's good to get out and have some fun!"

"Yes, I agree. That was the intention of the cruise." He grinned at Greg.

"AH! Soooo.....who is the "old friend" that will be accompanying you on the cruise? A LADY friend perhaps?" Greg had that tone that Grissom hated, but he simply smiled at him and made no comment. "Okay. I see. Don't want to discuss the personal life. Fine. But I'm happy for you Grissom." He patted Gil on the shoulder.

"Here we are!" Gil pulled into a parking space and quickly exited the vehicle. Greg followed him to the door of apartment 12 and Gil opened the door for him. Greg took a quick look around and smiled.

"Not bad!" Greg turned on a few lights and then tried out the sofa. "Do we get cable here?"

"Well, satellite. Don't worry, Greg. Starting tomorrow, you won't have time for televison." He handed Greg the key. "Be at the lab by 7am. If you want a ride, I leave at 6:30. I'm in apartment 3. But call me, don't drop by unannounced. There's a grocery store about a mile down the road if you need anything. Sorry we don't have a car for you to use."

"Ok, Griss! Thanks! Its no big deal to walk to the store. It gives me a chance to take in the environment." Greg beamed at him.

"Well, see you in the morning." Grissom left, shutting the door tightly. He got back into his vehicle and headed over to Charles house. They had all agreed to meet back at his house once he got Greg settled into his place.

Sara sat on Charles sofa, fidgeting nervously. Charles had made a fresh pot of coffee and was very hospitable, but she still felt uncomfortable without Gil there with her. When a knock sounded at the door, Sara all but leaped out of her seat declaring "I'll get it. It's probably Gil."

Charles smiled at her enthusiasm and sipped his coffee. Gil walked in with his arm wrapped around Sara's waist.

"Well, Greg is all settled into his apartment. Thank you for not giving him the one next to mine!" Charles chuckled at his comment.

"Well, hopefully we can just keep him away from your apartment and we can keep him busy enough he wont notice when you are gone meeting Sara for dinner and such."

"Thank you, Charles. You're a good friend to Gil." Sara smiled sweetly at him and Gil took her hand in his and placed a small kiss on the back of her hand.

Just then, Sara's cell began to ring. She looked at the caller ID. GREG! "Uh, it's Greg!" Sara got up from the sofa and began to walk towards the front door of the house. She flipped open the cell.

"Sidle."

"Sidle? You are so official even on vacation!" Greg chuckled in her ear.

"Hey! Greggo! Guess old habits die hard. How are you? Are you in Alaska now? I got your message."

"YUP! Grissom just showed me to my new digs and I'm about to go to the grocery store to get a few items. But, I have to walk. No car for Greggo! But it's only like a mile away or something."

"Are grocery stores still open this late in Alaska, Greg?"

"Hmmm. Lets see. Its 8pm. They should be, right?"

"Well, I don't know. But I'm guessing its not 24 hours like Vegas." Sara chuckled, knowing the grocery store closed at 9pm. Grissom had mentioned it to her earlier. Just then a train decided to rumble by Charles home. He lived right next to the tracks.

"That a train?" Greg asked.

"Oh, uh yeah. My friend lives near the tracks." Sara explained, then panicked when it let out a loud whistle. Surely Greg could hear that where he was too! He was only a half mile away!

"That is sooo weird?" Greg exclaimed.

"What's that?" Sara was getting nervous.

"I can hear a train going by somewhere near here too! Must be trains have similar schedules. Kinda freaky, hey?" Greg chuckled

"Yeah, really freaky." Sara began to pace frantically. "Well, I'm glad you called me. But I was just getting ready for bed, so I should go."

"Bed? Not even midnight? Come on, Sar. I know you better than that?" there was a slight pause. "So, who is he?"

"Who is who, Greg?"

"The guy you're meeting!"

"Who said........Greg, I'm not having this nonsensical discussion with you. I have to go, so lets hang up now, Greggo."

"Fine. Talk to you later, Sara!"

Sara hung up the phone and settled back into her spot next to Gil on the sofa. Charles just smiled at her. Gil wrapped her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"So, I take it Greg is all settled?"

"Yeah. But that train almost blew my cover!"

Charles laughed. "Sorry about that. But I can only control so many things."

"Speaking of........what am I supposed to do for the next three days? I was actually looking forward to working on this project." Sara looked from Gil to Charles.

"Oh, uh.....well. I guess I didn't think of that." Confessed Charles.

"So, the plan is to get Greg settled and I stay locked up in Gil's apartment." Sara crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not really a plan, gentlemen."

"Ok. You're right, Sara." Grissom was at a loss. "What do you suggest?"

"Well, why don't we just tell him I'm working here too?"

"And how do we explain your absence that coincides with my cruise?" Grissom waited for her answer.

"Oh, um. I don't know." Sara bit her lip in concentration. "Let's just tell him."

"Tell him what?" Gil stared at her in disbelief.

"Tell him the truth! He's going to figure it out sooner or later."

"I don't know, Sara..."

"Wait! I got it!" Charles interrupted the couple. "Why don't we let him figure it out! Have some fun with him!"

"Ooh! I like that!" Sara smiled deviously. "We can have him working in a separate area from me, so he won't see me at the lab. Send him on wild goose chases and silly tasks."

"Should I be scared you came up with that so quickly?" Sara smacked Gil playfully on the shoulder at his comment.

"If he doesn't figure it out by the time we leave for the cruise, then we don't have a problem. If he does figure it out, which I think he will, then we just strike a deal with him. Blackmail if necessary! But I don't think it will come to that." The two men agreed with Sara's assessment.

"Well, it is getting late." Grissom put his coffee cup down on the end table and stood. He held out his hand to Sara. "Shall we, my dear?"

"My dear?" Sara giggled but took his hand and followed him and to the front door. "Thanks, Charles. I'm sorry for all this confusion."

"No problem. Anything for you two lovebirds." He winked at them and Gil just rolled his eyes at his friend. "Good night. I'll start working on some fun jobs for Greg."

"I can't wait!" Sara grinned as she left arm in arm with Gil.

Sara and Gil drove the short distance to the apartments from Charles house. Sara noticed a man walking toward them on the side of the road. It was Greg!

"That was Greg!" Sara announced to Gil.

"Where?" Gil looked around.

"Wow! Not very observant driver. He was walking on the side of the road!"

"Well, then he is going the wrong way! The grocery store is in the opposite direction."

"Maybe he's just out for a walk. Getting some fresh air seeing the sights." Sara suggested.

"Maybe. Well, I'm sure he can find his way home."

The couple didn't notice that Greg had realized he was walking in the wrong direction and had turned around. He noticed Grissom's SUV was now parked in front of his apartment. He was about to call out to Grissom when he noticed him ushering a woman into his apartment. He couldn't make out her face, but she seemed familiar. It was dark and no exterior lighting was turned on the building in that area.

"Wonder who his 'friend' is?" Greg said out loud to himself. "Guess I will find out tomorrow. I might just show up unannounced." Greg grinned and continued on his way.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!!! This is getting fun! Hehehe. Keep the reviews coming! I love em! They keep me motivated to write more! If you write, you know what I mean! Thanks all who are reading and reviewing!!!! I love ya all! Wendy


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Grissom groaned and reached for the alarm clock. After a few feeble attempts, his hand finally made contact with the noisy clock. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. He smiled when he felt Sara snake her arm around him and pull herself in closer to his warmth.

"Don't get up yet." A groggy Sara commanded. "Just a few more minutes."

Gil turned on his side and pulled Sara closer into his embrace. He chuckled when he heard her light snoring. He really did need to get up, but his mind began to wander. He still couldn't believe Greg was here. Talk about a paperwork mixup! This was going to be a nightmare. Sara and he decided to be cautious but not go out of their way to hide that she was there. They wouldn't use her name, but if asked, Gil would tell Greg that his companion was also a scientist, female, someone he met at a seminar in San Francisco, and that they were in a dedicated relationship. Gil smiled. _Dedicated Relationship_. That was something in which he had never imagined being involved.

Sara stirred in his arms, slowly waking. Gil groaned when she began to let her hands wander. He loved how she made him feel so desirable. She placed tiny, wet kisses on his neck as her hands caressed his arms and chest. "Mornin' hot stuff." She muttered between kisses. Gil rolled onto his back, taking Sara with him so she was now on top, their legs entwined. Sara smiled down at him before taking his lips and tongue hostage with her own.

"URGH! Is that your phone!" Sara raised up on her arms after a few minutes, staring at a dazed Gil.

"What?" He stopped and listened. He didn't hear anything. "I don't think so. Come here!" Gil reached up and pulled her back down, smashing their mouths together in a deep, tongue sucking kiss. They stayed that way, wound in each others arms, kissing deep and hungrily, hips grinding and writhing against the other in an effort for some sort of release. It could have been hours, minutes, Gil didn't know. He was in Sara's arms and that's all that mattered at the moment. That is until he heard a loud banging on the front door.

"Hey, Griss!" Greg yelled from the front door.

"I. Am. Going to kill. That guy!" Sara huffed out as she rolled to a sitting position.

Gil let out a noise that sounded like a growl and took a few deep breaths. He pulled on his robe and slowly padded to the front door. Sara sat on the edge of the bed.

"Yes, Greg!" Grissom whipped open the door. Greg was smiling and holding a cup of coffee in each hand and a newspaper under his left arm. He held one of the cups out to Grissom.

"Hey!" Greg frowned when he saw rumpled and sleepy looking Grissom. "I thought you said you would pick me up early. It's 6:33! When you didn't answer your phone, I decided to just stop by."

"Greg. Didn't I specifically tell you to NOT ever just drop in on me? Didn't you think that just MAYBE there was a reason I didn't pick up my phone?" Gil took both cups of coffee from Greg.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess" Greg looked confused, but when Grissom just stared at him, his little internal lightbulb flipped into the ON position. "OH!!! You were, uh...........oh. Sorry! My bad." Greg giggled. "I will, uh, meet you at the lab. Take your time." Greg tucked the newspaper under Gil's arm and chuckled as he turned and walked down the short path to the road.

Grissom groaned as he shut the door. "Talk about a mood killer."

Greg was grinning as he walked towards the lab when realization hit. "Hey! He took MY cup of

coffee too!"

"Mmmm. Greg brought his expensive coffee with him." Sara took another long appreciative sip of the brew. "I guess I can forgive him for the interruption."

"It's good." Gil commented. "But not THAT good." Gil held up the paper towards Sara.

"I'll take the local stuff. See what's going on in Alaska." Sara winked at him teasingly.

Gil handed her the Local News section and smiled at her. He took a long sip from his cup. He was enjoying the coffee more than he cared to show, Sara noted. Here they were sitting at the kitchen table in their robes, reading the paper and sipping coffee. _Not a very romantic setting_, Sara thought. _But these are my favorite moments. _She watched Gil as he opened the Sports page, probably looking for the latest baseball scores. Sara watched him as flipped through the few pages.

"Well, I guess I better shower and get to the lab." Gil folded the sports page and got up, kissing Sara quickly on his way to the tiny bathroom.

A half hour later Gil was in the lab showing Greg around. Greg was full of energy, as usual. Grissom decided to give him some fairly easy but time consuming tasks, mainly cataloging some statistics and other data into the computer.

"You know, Griss, I am a trained scientist. I can do some other things too." Greg complained.

"Well, this is what I need help with. You came here to help, right?" Grissom stared at him.

"Yeah. I came to help." Greg mumbled and went back to his computer.

"I'll be in Building C. There are some other things going on over there that Charles wanted me to look over. I'll be back around Noon so we can meet Charles for lunch." Grissom informed Greg.

"Oh, good! I can't wait to meet him." Greg paused then smiled. "You, uh, bringing your LADY friend to lunch?"

Grissom just stood there. Greg could tell by the look on his face that he had overstepped his boundaries. "Sorry. I'm just eager to meet your friends."

"I'll see you at Noon." Gil exited the lab and headed off to Building C to check on Sara's progress.

Sara was busy documenting when Gil found her. She had her forehead wrinkled in concentration. He grinned and leaned against the doorframe.

"You know, my mother always told me my face would stick one day when I made faces like that."

Sara looked in his direction and smiled. She put down her pen and leaned against the corner of the countertop. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." Gil walked toward her and placed his hands on the counter on either side of Sara. "How's it going?"

"Hmmm. Good so far. It's only been a few hours." Sara leaned forward and placed a quick peck on Gil's lips. Gil smiled sweetly at her and held her gaze. He took her lips into a long, sensual kiss, inviting her tongue to tangle with his own.

"Uhhh. Hmmm." Sara and Gil both jumped apart at the sound from the doorway. "I hate to interrupt...." Charles chuckled as he entered the lab. "But we do need to get some work done around here eventually."

"Sorry, Charles. I was just about to ask Ms. Sidle about her progress." Gil was a nice shade of red, Sara noted and smiled to herself.

"Hmm. Yes. I'm sure you were." Charles smiled at the duo, Charles studied their interactions as Sara gave detail of her progress over the past few hours. They worked well together. Finished each other's sentences. He noticed that at dinner last night as well. They were a perfect fit, both in the lab and out of it. He was really happy for Gil. He deserved happiness in his life.

"Well, Gil, you ready to have lunch with Mr. Sanders?" Charles waited while Gil gave Sara a quick peck on the lips before exiting the building. Sara turned back to her task smiling happily.

Greg, Gil and Charles sat at a small round table in a local diner eating cheeseburgers and onion rings. Gil watched as Greg devoured his burger. He rolled his eyes at the gruesome display. Charles saw Gil's expression and chuckled out loud.

"How do you stay so thin when you eat like that, Greg?" Charles inquired of the young lab tech.

"Oh, mwuh..." Greg swallowed his bite. "Sorry. I have a high metabolism I guess. I can eat whatever I want and not gain an ounce. Sara's always on me about that." Greg commented.

Charles decided to have a little fun. "Is Sara your girlfriend?" Gil dropped his burger on his plate and just shot a warning glance at Charles.

"I wish, right?" He smiled at an all not too amused Gil Grissom. "Um, no. She's a CSI in the lab."

"Oh." Charles sipped his soda, then smiled wickedly. "So what's she like?"

Gil wiped his hands and cleared his throat, hoping Charles wouldn't push the issue. "You okay there, Gil?"

"I'm fine, Charles." He just stared at him, but Charles ignored his colleague. "So, please, Greg, continue about this Sara."

"Well, she's the best CSI! Well, besides Grissom here, of course." He smiled at Grissom.

"Of course." Charles agreed, smiling at Gil.

"She's a little older than me. Tall, brunette, beautiful brown eyes, and she has a great mind to match it! She's a great friend and teacher. She really helped me when I was going through my CSI training."

"Sounds like someone else I know." Gil coughed again. "You might want Doc Evans to check that cough out, Gil."

"Im fine." Gil all but growled at an amused Charles.

"So, she's just a friend?" Charles asked Greg.

"Sadly, yes. She's kind of hung up on...".Greg shot a look at Grissom and stopped talking for a moment. "She's always had great dedication to her job and myself and the other guys we work with are kind of like her brothers. We all look out for eachother."

"That's a great quality to have going on a team! You didn't tell me that your crew was so close, Gil." Charles looked at Gil and smiled innocently at him.

"Oh. Yeah." Gil looked from Greg to Charles. "Catherine considers us a family........whether we like it or not." He grinned at Greg, who just chuckled.

"And Catherine is...?" Charles asked.

"Oh. Catherine is our team co-supervisor. She and I have worked together for many years." Gil explained.

"She's like the bad ass mom of the group." Greg pitched in his description.

"Ah. So she's older than most of you?"

"Well, she's younger than Griss here. But she's older than the rest of us. Plus, she actually IS a mom. She has a daughter." Greg explained.

"Hmmm." Charles grinned. "So, two women on a team. That ever get interesting?"

"Oh, yeah!" Greg leaned in towards Charles. "They have their moments. Not long ago they were fighting right in the hallway in front of Ecklie! He's our Assistant Lab Director. Sara ended up getting suspended!"

"Wow! You suspended Sara, Gil?" Charles turned to Gil.

"Uh, no. Ecklie did. He wanted me to fire her, but I couldn't do that. We worked it out." Gil smiled politely at a smiling Greg.

"And, uh.........how did you work it out?" Charles was beginning to annoy Grissom. Gil fidgeted in his seat. Greg watched intently. He always wondered what had happed with Sara that week.

"It's not really up for discussion. It was a personal matter, and I helped her get through it." Gil took the last bite of his burger, ignoring the gazes.

"I always knew you two knew each other, but wow! It's nice to hear you do actually still get along. Are you guys, you know......friends?" Greg asked Gil.

"Yes, Greg. We are friends."

"So, she must know who your secret lady love is then." Greg winked at him.

"Greg. Finish up your food and lets get going back to the lab." Gil instructed him.

"Now, Gil. Don't take it out on poor Greg. I'm the one who began the line of questioning on Sara. I guess I didn't realize you two were old friends."

"Yeah, they go way back..........like 10 years or something." Greg informed Charles.

"Oh! They do, huh?" He gave a knowing smile to Grissom. "Well, good friends are hard to find."

The men entered the lab 20 minutes later. Greg said goodbye to the two older scientists and got back to his computer. Gil and Charles headed over to the next building to check in with Sara.

"Hey, Sara. How's everything coming along?" Charles smiled at her.

"Oh, hi guys." Sara turned around, pulling her goggles off her face. "How was lunch?"

Gil rolled his eyes. Sara gave him a inquisitive look. "Your name came up at lunch." Grissom stated.

"Me? How did that happen?" Sara was amused.

"Ask Charles." Gil pointed behind him at the culprit.

"Greg mentioned you. So, I had a little fun with it." Charles had a satisfied smirk on his face. "Greg told me you were youngish, beautiful brown eyes and brunette. And that you are a great friend and mentor. And that you and Gil go way back."

"He knows that?" Sara looked at Gil, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess secrets are hard to keep in that lab."

"Well, I think your current secret is safe. He didn't seem to indicate anything was suspected."

"Well, that's good to know." Sara turned back to her test tubes.

"Well, I will see you two later." Charles patted Gil on the shoulder and laughed as he exited through the double doors.

"So, Greg back to work on his data?" Sara asked as she made some notes.

"Yeah. He's going with it for now. He's just excited to be here."

"Yeah. We all are, right?" Sara continued to lean over the counter writing. Gil grinned and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. "You know, I am actually trying to get some work done, Dr. Grissom."

"Hmmm" he nuzzled his face in her hair. "I love it when you call me Doctor."

Sara chuckled then let out a louder laugh when he nibbled her earlobe. "Gil!" She let out on a wave of laughter.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry!" The duo froze. They heard the familiar voice from the doorway. Sara stood still facing the wall while Grissom turned to face the intruder.

"Griss, I didn't mean to interrupt.........." Greg apologized, a huge grin on his face. He then looked at the still figure behind Grissom. "Sara?"

Sara slowly turned. She gave a weak smile. "Hi, Greggo!"

"Wow! You are the last person I expected to see here!" He walked into the room further. "Now I see why Charles was asking so many questions about you." He looked towards Grissom, who was wearing a guilty look on his face. "And you! You knew she was here!"

Gil stared at Greg, not knowing what to say. He looked at Sara. She gently shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what to do in this situation. They both looked at a smiling Greg and gave a smile back.

"Well, now you know our secret." Sara finally said.

"I'm just shocked! I couldn't ask for a better surprise than Sara Sidle here in Alaska!" Greg beamed at her. Greg stood there for a moment looking from Sara to Gil, who seemed to be at a loss for words for a moment. Greg thought for a moment then awareness dawned on him.

"Wait a minute! Are you two.........?" He pointed to the two of them. "I interrupted.........Oh, my god! You........" Greg pointed at Grissom. "And you are his.........." He pointed at Sara. "Wait! What exactly is your secret?"

A/N: sorry it took so long to update. Serious case of writers block! Hope you like! Please leave a review.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Greg stood in the middle of the lab staring at Grissom and Sara. He had walked in on Grissom! Groping Sara! _Ewww! _He knew his Boss had a ladylove, but he never had even thought of Sara! Sure, he knew that the Sara had always had more than friendly feelings for Grissom and many had speculated as to an ongoing secret relationship, but he had never envisioned it actually being a reality! _Grissom and Sara. Grissom and Sara. _He repeated the phrase in his mind a few times and then shook his head.

"Greg. Greg!" Sara snapped her fingers in his face. "You okay there?" She grinned at him.

"Oh, uh. Yeah." He noted Grissoms scowl. "So, your secret?"

"Well, I would think that would be obvious, Greg." Grissom stated.

"Oh. Yeah." Greg let out a light laugh. "So, Sara..." He pointed at her in indication. "Is your ladylove." He now pointed at Grissom. He stood there for a moment thinking then a slight smile crossed his face. "And you arranged it for her to be here with you and then go on a cruise together next week?"

Sara pointed at him and winked.

"So, how long has this been going on?" Greg stepped closer, coming out of his stupor.

"Greg, we are NOT going to discuss our relationship." Gil informed him firmly.

"So, it IS a relationship!" Greg smiled at them. Sara gave him a crooked grin in return. "Ok, ok. I know you two are private. I can respect that." He stood there for a moment longer sporting a goofy grin. "Well, if you want me to keep this on the DL, you gotta give me something!" Greg stated bouncing on his heels

"What?" Grissom was confused.

"He'll keep our relationship a secret if we answer some of his questions." Sara explained. She turned to Greg. "You get 3 questions. That's it!" She held up three fingers in indication.

Greg smiled the most devious smile she had ever seen on his face. "Greg." Grissom stated in warning. "We will NOT divulge any gratuitous details."

"AH HA!" Greg pointed at the duo. "Now I know there ARE gratuitous details."

Sara chuckled, but Grissom was not amused. Grissom stared at Greg for a few moments then decided to up the ante. "Okay, Greg. We will give you 3 questions. But you will also KEEP this information to yourself. Our secret is not as simple as Sara is here in Alaska."

"Its not." Greg looked to Sara who just nodded in agreement with Gil.

"No, Greg. It is not." Gil stepped closer to Greg. "You realize that if Ecklie knew about us, about this situation.....He would fire both of us. So, you keeping your promise of NOT telling anyone our secret, is of utmost importance not only for our personal privacy but for our careers. Its not just about us being private Greg. You need to understand that."

"I get it Grissom." Greg nodded in agreement. "Your secret is safe with me!"

"Good." Gil smiled at him. "And remember, Greg. I'm in charge of assignments at work."

Sara snickered at the look on Greg's face. Greg turned a little paler and mumbled, "I hate decomps and trash digging and stupid traffic accidents."

"Greg? You ok over there?" Sara tried to hide her laughter.

"Yeah, yeah. Just, Please, Griss! Don't punish me with all the lowlife jobs. I swear that what I know stays with me." Greg pleaded to Gil.

"Fine. So, question one?" Gil stood with his backside leaning on the counter next to Sara, mimicking her position.

"Ok. Sooooo.......How long has this been going on?" Greg smiled at them.

Gil looked at Sara. She was chewing her bottom lip. He smiled at her when she turned her head. Gil Answered Greg, his eyes never leaving Sara's gaze. "About six months." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Really? Wow. I would have thought longer." Greg shook his head and was about to ask another question when Sara interrupted him.

"Why would you think longer?" She wanted to know what was going on in Greg's head.

"Well, its just that, since you came to Vegas it was obvious that you had something for Grissom. We all could see it. Well, all of us lab geeks anyway. I'm not so sure about the CSI's though."

"So, you and Mandy and Jacqui and others thought we had something from the start?" Sara was grinning about that observation. Of course she heard the rumors. Even now, she heard them. "And now?"

"Now?" Greg stood with his mouth open for a moment. "Now Wendy thinks something is up but Hodges refuses to believe that, since I think he's in love with Grissom." Sara chuckled at that comment and Grissom just furrowed his brow. "Catherine once told me she thought maybe you two would get together but she said you could never take that next step in intimacy. And then Sara started to date Hank the Skank."

Grissom frowned at the mention of Hank. Sara shook her head. "Greg. Why are you telling us all this?"

"Oh. I don't know. I guess you deserve to know what people think. Lay it all out on the table."

"You know you still only get 3 questions." Sara stated.

"Oh. Yeah. Sure, I know that." Gregs voice went up an octave. Sara smiled at him.

"So, question two?" Grissom looked at Greg.

"Oh. Hmmm. Lets see!" He rubbed his hands together and grinned that devilish grin once again.

"Does the beard tickle you when your making out? I mean, it seems like it would."

"GREG!" The duo rang out in unison.

"Fine. You two are NO fun!" Greg stood for a moment tapping his foot, his arms crossed. "Would it be ok if I got back to you? I don't want to waste any questions." He grinned.

"Fine. Meet us for dinner at my apartment, bring your remaining question then." Gil stated.

"Okay, but its questions. You didn't answer my beard question. So, unless Sara answers, I have 2 questions left."

"Fine. TWO questions." Gil agreed. Sara smiled at the two men. She loved how Greg could get to Grissom. It never ceased to amaze and entertain her. "Now get back to work Greg. We'll see you at six."

"Excellent!" Greg bounced out of the room.

"Well, dinner should be entertaining." Sara said to Gil as she turned back to her paperwork. She began to write some information when she noticed Gil was still standing there against the counter, deep in thought. "Gil. Don't overthink this. I think Greg will keep his word. He can be a bit annoying and childish at times, but he's loyal and honest."

Gil shook his head in agreement but maintained his thoughtful pose. Sara let out a heavy sigh and moved to stand in front of Gil. She placed her hands on his shoulders. He turned his thoughtful blue eyes to her smiling brown ones and relaxed a little. Sara leaned in, giving him a slow but gentle kiss. "Feeling better now?"

When he didn't answer Sara dropped her hands and stood in front of him, arms folded across her chest. He looked at her and got this look on his face that she recognized as his "I've come to a conclusion of sorts but have further questions."

"Sara?" He began. She smiled at him.

"Yes, Gil?"

"Do you think Hodges is really in love with me?"

Sara couldn't help but to laugh out loud!

A/N: Ok, this is short. But I wanted to give you SOMETHING while I work on the rest. Please leave a review! I thrive on them!!! Wendy


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Greg walked slowly towards Grissom's apartment. He had spent the afternoon writing down the questions that came up in his mind as he worked. At the end of the work day, he had two pages full of questions. He wondered how he would ever narrow it down to just two! This was his Boss and his friend. There were so many unanswered questions about their relationship, how could they be so cruel and restrict him to TWO QUESTIONS!!!!

It was no secret that Greg had at one time had a crush on Sara. When he decided to leave the lab and become a CSI, she was a great Mentor. His childish crush behind him, Greg fell into friendship with Sara as they worked together more often. He thought he knew his friend, but apparently he didn't know as much as he thought.

When Sara first came to the lab from San Francisco, rumors flew. Grissom had declared to the CSI's that he was bringing in a "friend" to investigate the Holly Gribbs shooting. Even Catherine didn't know about Sara Sidle. They were so secretive!

Greg reached Grissom's door and knocked twice. He was greeted by a smiling Sara Sidle.

"Hey, Greggo. Come on in." Sara moved aside to let him enter. Greg heard noises in the kitchen. He looked at Sara.

"Gil, uh, Grissom is just putting the finishing touches on dinner." Sara answered his unspoken question.

"He cooks!" Greg shook his head in disbelief. "There is so much about you two that I apparently don't know."

Sara led him to the table and indicated a seat for him. He watched as Sara brought a bowl of salad and filled each of their glasses with ice water. Sara sat down to Greg's right as Grissom came into the room sporting oven mits and holding a large pan of lasagna.

"It's veggie. I hope you like it." Grissom explained as he ditched the oven mits and took a seat across from Greg.

"Yeah. Veggie is fine. I kinda got used to it eating so many meals with Sara." He smiled at Sara.

They ate in near silence. A few words were spoken on how good the food tasted and about their progress with the research. Sara cleared their plates and Grissom took the leftovers into the small kitchen. Grissom returned with a tray with three coffee cups and a carafe of coffee. Greg smiled when he saw the plate of cookies Sara placed in the center of the table.

"Chocolate chip and walnut. Your favorite." Sara smiled at Greg as he dove in to the plate, taking three cookies.

"So, Greg. Sara and I talked and we decided that we will simply tell you our story and hopefully that will answer most of your questions. If you still feel like we haven't answered them, you can ask your two questions."

"Oh. Ok. That sounds excellent. I was having a hard time narrowing it down to two." He took a bite of his cookie. "So, go ahead."

Sara smiled at Gil, who nodded.

"We met several years ago, before Sara came to Vegas. She attended a seminar I was giving at Berkeley. We got to talking after the lecture, and well, we became friends fairly fast. We spent a lot of time together."

"We dated." Sara interjected.

"Yes, we dated." Grissom took a sip of his coffee. "But long distance made it so we drifted into a friend zone more or less. We kept in contact, visited every now and again. When I was promoted to shift supervisor and was one CSI short, I naturally thought of Sara. So, she came in to fill in the spot."

"I was looking to get out of San Francisco. And Vegas seemed exciting." Sara explained. Greg nodded in agreement.

"We never did really get back into that relationship place. Griss being supervisor made it difficult. Plus, we had grown apart. Attempts were made, some flirting went on, but we fell into a supervisor/employee relationship." Sara looked at Grissom to continue.

"Well, as you know, my mom got cancer. She knew about Sara and thought we were engaged. So, Sara went home with me for Christmas."

"HA! I knew something was up with that!" Greg smiled wide at the duo.

"Well, anyway, spending time together, pretending to be a couple...." Sara stated.

"We decided to give it another try." Gil finished for her. "But this time, it had to be secret. Our jobs are on the line. There are strict guidelines about supervisor/employee relationships."

"You guys are good liars!" Greg laughed at them.

"I prefer to think of it as keeping private life and work life separate." Grissom explained.

"Yeah, well, same difference." Greg chomped on another cookie. "So, is that the whole story?" He asked through a mouthful of chocolate chips.

"Yes, Greg. That's the story." Sara smiled at him. "So, did we answer your questions? Beard tickling aside?"

Greg chuckled and poured another cup of coffee for himself. He sat for a few moments thinking.

"Well, I was wondering.........Have you ever done it in the lab?"

"GREG!!!" Both Sara and Grissom interjected in unison.

"Geesh!!!" Greg shook his head at the couple. "I'm going to take that as a yes." He mumbled under his breath.

"Ok. I think we are done here." Grissom got up, taking the dirty coffee cups with him into the kitchen.

"Oh, come on! It's a great question!" Greg defended. "Besides, you said TWO questions, I have one left."

"Ok, Greggo." Sara sat back in her chair with a smirk, crossing her arms across her chest. But as Greg began to speak, he turned towards the kitchen and Gil Grissom.

"I do have one other question." He sat silent for a moment staring at Grissom. "Do you love her?"

Sara let out a small gasp. If Greg hadn't looked so serious, she would have laughed. She glanced over at Gil. He sat staring at her, eyes wide. They stayed that way for a minute then exchanged a look and Sara nodded.

"Never mind." Greg interrupted their silent conversation. "I think I have my answer."

The next few days at the labs went smoothly. Greg was so busy working, he didn't have time to harass Grissom and Sara about their relationship. He was due to head back to Vegas in four days. It was the last night before his co-workers departed on their cruise. They all decided to go out for a farewell dinner.

"To Alaska!" Greg cheered as he held up his glass of wine. Sara and Gil followed his action and they all clinked their glasses of wine in a toast. "That was a great meal. I have never had Halibut that tasted so good!"

"That's because its probably the freshest you have ever had, Greggo." Sara grinned at him.

"True." Greg readily agreed. "So, what time are you leaving?"

"Six in the morning." Gil answered.

"Early. So, guess tonight is good-bye until Vegas." Greg smiled sadly.

"Oh, come on, Greg. Its only a couple weeks. You will definitely live through it all."

"Well, of course I will live, Sara. It will just be lonely here for the next few days." Greg finished off his wine and leaned back in his seat.

Grissom insisted on paying when the waiter brought them the bill. Greg declared he would "catch it next time". Sara just smiled at him.

They drove silently back to the apartment building, Greg in the back seat. Greg noted how Griss took Sara's hand and held it as they drove. He was still getting used to the idea of them as a couple, but he couldn't deny that they seemed to be perfectly happy together. He liked how Sara was all smiley and happy again. Even Grissom was easier to get along with lately. Now he knew why that was the case. Greg smiled to himself as they pulled into the parking space and exited the SUV.

"Well, Greg, we will see you back in Vegas." Grissom walked to the door and unlocked it. He looked back and saw Sara giving Greg a big hug and telling him to "stay out of trouble!".

Greg walked the short distance to his temporary home. He was happy for Grissom and Sara. And he was glad they could have the time alone on the cruise. This trip had brought them all a little bit closer as friends and co-workers. He felt privileged that they trusted him with the details of their private lives. It was rare to get any personal information from Grissom, so he felt special knowing that his Boss and Sara Sidle were in love.

THE END

A/N: Well, I think Im going to wrap this up here. Sorry there's no hot steamy cruise story. I feel its been overdone and I've lost my mojo on this story and time is an issue. I don't want to just write any old thing. I will keep writing. Im developing some other stuff now. I hope you have enjoyed this saga, and I thank all who have read this and especially to those who have left reviews. I appreciate it greatly!!! Wendy


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